Book details
Cab and Caboose: The Story of a Railroad Boy
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Metadata
- Gutenberg ID
- 22497
- Title
- Cab and Caboose: The Story of a Railroad Boy
- Language
- en
- Book source
- Project Gutenberg
- Description max 80 words
-
A classic tale of a railroad boy's journey from a bicycle racer to a skilled engineman. This story explores themes of pride, forgiveness, and moral growth against the backdrop of early 20th-century railroading life, offering an adventurous narrative for young readers.
- Summary up to 500 words
-
In 'Cab and Caboose: The Story of a Railroad Boy' by Kirk Munroe, the narrative follows Rodman 'Rod' Blake, a spirited and athletic youth known as 'Railroad Blake.' The story opens with Rod winning the coveted Railroad Cup in a bicycle race, humiliating his wealthy, jealous rival, Snyder Appleby. Rod, the nephew of the wealthy Major Appleby, struggles with his uncle's indifference toward him and his own wounded pride, which drives him away from home to work as a brakeman on a freight train. His ambition is to become an engineman, a role he admires but feels he lacks the experience for. Rod's career takes a dramatic turn when he is unexpectedly promoted to fireman on the prestigious 'Express Special,' a high-speed train carrying valuable cargo. This promotion is a surprise, as Rod had hoped to first undergo training as a wiper or hostler. On this dangerous run, Rod faces a catastrophic tunnel collapse caused by sabotage orchestrated by his rival, Snyder Appleby. In a moment of supreme courage and selflessness, Rod risks his life to rescue the unconscious Snyder from the wreckage. Snyder dies before he can fully confess, but Rod forgives him, reconciling with his uncle and finding redemption. The novel concludes with Rod becoming a respected engineman and the President's private secretary. Having overcome his pride to serve others, Rod achieves both professional success and personal peace. The story emphasizes themes of integrity, the dangers of jealousy, and the transformative power of forgiveness, illustrating that true character is defined not by status or wealth, but by one's actions in times of crisis.
- LLM editorial rating
- 4.2/5
- Download URL
- https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/22497.epub.noimages
- Local file path
-
data/epubs/pg22497.epub - Downloaded at
- 2026-07-08 16:42 UTC
People
Authors
- Kirk Munroe
Classification
Categories
- Adventure
- Fiction